The History Behind Princess Films: A 3 Day Camp

Does your learner love princess movies? Do they love the dresses, the castles and the stories? Join in this 3 day camp as we explore what life was really like for princesses at different points in history. Each day, we will look at a different film and explore the real history behind your learners favourite movies. We will look at different castles and palaces, different clothing and images of royalty from different castles and time periods to enable learners to get a taste of what life would really be like for a princess in their favourite films. Learners will also get the chance to look at what a historically accurate princess from each of the films would have worn.

The class will be discussion based and use images of real artefacts from the time period to generate discussion. I will ask questions about different primary images in order to encourage learners to think about what it would be like in the time periods discussed. Students will get a chance to give their opinions about the different items discussed.

Day 1
Sleeping Beauty
Today learners will explore the world of the 1300s. We will look at images of German castles from this time, in particular focusing on Neuschwanstein Castle. We will explore different fashions from the period by looking at paintings and art work featuring princesses and wealthy women. Learners will also get the chance to explore different jewellery from the 14th century.

Day 2
Beauty and the Beast
Today, learners will explore the world of royalty from the 1770s. We will look at fashion for the royal family and use images of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI to discover French fashion from the period. We will also learn about life in the royal palaces, lean about the food that royalty ate and even look at some items from the palace that inspired characters in the famous films, such as candlesticks and china cups.

Day 3
The Little Mermaid
Today we will explore the world of Denmark and Italy in the 1890s and learners will get the chance to decide for themselves where they think The Little Mermaid film takes place. We will look at dresses from the era - including the very puffy sleeves.  We will also look at some different “Little Mermaid” statues from around the world

No prior knowledge is needed for this class and your learner does not need to have seen the relevant films or heard the story to enjoy each class.